Broken Forever
by The Gone Angel
Summary: Her heart was the only thing that was murdered in that theater. She can't stop remembering them; can't stop /seeing/ them and how she failed them due to her selfishness of wanting friends. They had to be alive. She would find them and hug them until they could barely breathe. And how can her heart return when she gave it away to them? (Sequel to Friends Forever.)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Once upon a time, there lived a spunky teenager who enjoyed the wilder side of life. She was a Cahill, the finest of the fine for the Madrigals. However, she tended to get _too _carried away in her adventures and often was lucky she lived. There was one time where she was lucky, but it broke her to the deepest core of her heart. Being the stupid person she was, she befriended a boy named Danny, who also wanted some adventure in his life.

_If adventure counted dying, he sure aced that._

She had ran into him when she stole a book from one of the local libraries that was ran by a Vesper. She had tried to trick him with her lies, and she insisted that the Vespers- who she called 'those strangers'- were after her for no reason. Danny, being decently intelligent and observant even though he probably had better things to do, commented about the book in her hand. She continued to lie, but all the poor guy wanted was adventure.

_She shouldn't have told him yes. She should have just walked away and pretended he never existed. But she had said yes and he paid the price._

The two of them got along well until another person came by the name of Bronze. She was a firecracker; brilliantly intelligent and crazy as hell. Danny automatically didn't trust her, considering the fact that she had a dagger pressed to his throat. And, of course, Grace agreed that she could join the two of them. After all, how would Grace have known that it would have been better to just let Bronze kill him?

_Firecrackers can't fight fire, though. That would be impossible and highly dangerous. Then again, danger and impossibilities are what Cahills are good at, right?_

They were able to complete _some _of the mission (it had a few problems that eventually led them to stop traveling to hide the clues) and that called for a celebration at the movies. Buttery popcorn, fizzling soda, and mouthwatering candy was definitely a celebration in the minds of the three teenagers. That celebration went wrong throughout one fourth of the movie. Flames licked the red curtains in front of the screen, then began to race across the floors of the theater. Smoke drifted above people in heavy clouds. The sounds of crackling and coughing filled the air as desperate people shoved their way through others towards the entrance. They all failed as the fire coiled around them like a snake, squeezing them until they were nothing but ashes.

_Sadly, nobody survived except for the person who started it all. Isn't that just wonderful? Point one for the Vespers! _

_And now because of this, she is BROKEN FOREVER._

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**Disclaimer: I don't own the 39 Clues in any way possible.**

**Well, this is the chapter-fic sequel to Friends Forever. The prologue is a small filler of the actual one-shot (since that story seriously sucks) and I'll be writing chapters about the story. Trust me, it'll be decent. Maybe. Well, thanks for reading and feel free to scream at me if I procrastinate on updating!**

**READ FRIENDS FOREVER FIRST BEFORE CONTINUING, AS MUCH AS IT PAINS ME TO SAY TO YOU.**


	2. After: Visiting England

Grace grew from that spunky fifteen-year-old into a mature woman who thought before taking actions. She still treasured her ability to speak her mind, but she used it for good instead of chaos. She married her husband, Nathaniel Hartford, and had an average life for a Cahill. But she craved adventure from her teenage years, and she wanted to find something that she wanted more than the serum. Her friendship. With Bronze and Danny, to be exact. She wanted to find her childhood friends, because she still couldn't believe that they died in that fire the Vespers caused to try and kill her. They could never kill her. They could break her all they wanted, but she would still live on. She gave her cat, Bronze, a halfhearted smile. She would make their legacy live on until she found them again.

Grace looked over at Nathaniel and simply said, "I have to go somewhere for a few weeks. It's business." She paused for a moment, then added, "I have to go alone."_  
_

Nathaniel looked at her with worry and care in his eyes, his content smile turning into a frown. "Are you sure you should go alone? What...what if the Vespers or other Cahills ambush you?" he questioned, finally letting go of what worried him the most. He was less adventurous than his wife and more of the worrier, but he prided himself for it. It saved them both a lot of trouble in their past missions together.

"I'll call for backup if that happens," Grace assured. She just didn't want anyone traveling with her to find her friends. She wanted to cherish the moment she saw their faces again. Maybe when she saw them, they could get ice cream and laugh together like they used to. The more she thought about it, the stronger her hope grew that she would find them soon. And she would look forward to it.

Nathaniel squeezed her hand to assure himself that his wife could hold herself. He wasn't sure what she was going on a mission for (since it was their break from running the Madrigal branch), but he had a feeling it wasn't for the branch. He didn't want to upset his wife if he tried to spill it out of her. She could tell him in her own time. Grace smiled mysteriously at him, like she knew he wanted answers from her.

She stood up from the couch and announced, "I'll be booking my flight to England now. I'll see you soon, Nathaniel. I promise." She turned around and walked towards their bedroom to plan a flight to England while Nathaniel had questions whirling through his mind about her location and _why _she is doing this. But once again, he shut his mouth.

**(-)**

Grace arrived in England soon after she booked a flight right away. She rubbed her tired eyes and began to wonder how stupid she really was. She immediately rushed into false hope that her friends could be alive when those nurses said she was the only one who survived. _No. They are alive and so are some people from that theater, _she told herself stubbornly, narrowing her eyes.

She entered a coffee shop nearby so she could order something to drink and eat. She was hungry after the long flight and endless hours of thoughts haunting her. She walked up towards the counter and glanced at the menu. She wanted a lot of caffeine since she gave up on sleep a long time ago. Grace tried to avoid the cashier girl's heated glares sent her way, as if the girl was stating she didn't want to talk to anyone. Grace always enjoyed a challenge when it came her way.

"I would like the coffee with the highest amount of caffeine with sugar, please," Grace ordered. "Also, some of the most delicious pastries, Miss...GG."

"Will that be all?" GG asked curtly, narrowing her eyes. She didn't see why this woman was trying to make conversation. She had to work and nobody ever talked to her anyway. Grace nodded, still not admitting defeat yet.

"Yes," Grace answered, scanning her dark gaze around the coffee shop to find a topic to bring up. "Miss GG-"

GG frowned, handing her the coffee, pastries, and remaining money. "Have a _wonderful _day," she forced herself to say, then fled into the staff room. Grace pondered on following her, then let out a deep sigh. She was just trying to be nice, and if the cashier wanted to be grumpy, then so be it. She took her purchased items and left, having better business to attend to than trying to talk to some girl.

**(-)**

**This is a boring chapter, I know. Actually, the next few will be boring (in my opinion) and short. I hope they'll get longer though.**

**Oh, look! There's a new farmer introduced into the plot. ;D**


	3. Before: Visiting the Ice Cream Parlor

**Disclaimer: I don't own 39 Clues.**

Grace laid on her bed, eyeing the ceiling like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Danny sipped his tea, fighting the urge to yawn and collapse out of the chair onto the floor. Bronze flipped through the huge book Grace stole from the library, occasionally glaring at Danny's steaming mug of tea like it was her enemy. Finally, Grace let out a loud sigh and chucked a pillow at Danny's head. Hot tea splattered all over his shirt and he shrieked, immediately rushing to the bathroom so he could splash water on his burn wound.

"You're very rude, Grace," Bronze chided, but her grin proved that she found it hilarious. She grinned sheepishly.

"I am bored and Danny is a good target for torture," Grace responded, then buried her head into another pillow to muffle her sighs of boredom. "Why isn't there anything entertaining to do? All we do is plan, plan, plan! I would rather be tortured by Vespers right now than suffer through the day!"

"I'm a Vesper," Bronze replied, flashing her an evil grin.

Grace smiled weakly. "Never mind."

"I thought so."

"You are awful," Danny spat, glaring at Grace and clutching the burn mark on his stomach. "There better be some ointment around here or I'm going to kill you with my tea. It _hurts._"

Laughter bubbled in Grace's lungs and she tried to zip her mouth shut so she wouldn't laugh. That didn't turn out as planned because she burst out laughing. Yes, she was very unladylike for a girl her age, but she thought it was a good thing. Apparently Bronze did too, because she joined into the laughter. Finally Danny cracked a smile and chuckled, but then he winced when the burn began to sting more.

"I'll find something. I probably have ointment somewhere," Grace told him, looking through her suitcase of items she owned. Her father, James Cahill, was a very rich man and left her with the whole house and her two other siblings. She resented her father for leaving her to tend to her family, but she liked being in the action with the Madrigals. That is where she was the best she could be.

She found the ointment and handed it to him. He snatched it quickly and immediately rushed back to the bathroom. _That tea must have been painful, _she thought, thoroughly amused with only a little concern. Once he came out again, he pouted and went to watch the television. Grace wasn't the type to enjoy the silent treatment, so she said something she knew would make him speak: "We'll go get ice cream at that place I saw across the street."

Danny perked up at the mention of ice cream and so did Bronze. "It's about time we do something," Bronze muttered, putting the book on the table. "That book is such a bore. For being so valuable to the Vespers, it doesn't seem to have anything of importance."

"There's probably clues somewhere in there. I'll look later," Grace insisted, looking in the mirror and deeming herself suitable to go out in public. "Now, let's go."

Danny and Bronze followed her excitedly - almost acting like five-year-old children - towards the ice cream parlor. Grace ordered herself a chocolate ice cream cone and then she ordered Danny and Bronze two vanilla ice cream cones. She quickly paid, grabbed the ice cream, and handed it to her friends.

"I barely ever get ice cream," Bronze murmured, pausing to lick the ice cream before continuing, "I never had the time."

"I never had the money," Danny replied, then his eyes widened. "How could you not have time for ice cream?"

"I meant for eating in general," Bronze told him, a faint smile on her face. "Being a Cahill and Vesper takes a lot of work and betrayal."

Grace winced, remembering the day she held a butcher knife to Danny's throat. That's probably the only grudge she had against her friend, even though she was a Vesper. Danny seemed to remember this too, because he glanced warily at where she had pulled out her knife. Bronze frowned at them.

"God, I'm not going to kill you both," Bronze snapped. Danny looked away guiltily and Bronze plastered a fake grin on her face. Grace simply raised an eyebrow, ignoring her own guilt.

"We have a right to be wary of you," Grace spoke calmly and shushed Bronze when she was about to protest angrily. "But...we do trust you a lot more than before, I'll tell you that. Just give us awhile. I mean, you would have _killed _him!"

Bronze looked away, her eyes giving away the anger she currently possessed. Grace disliked the tension they now had. She licked her chocolate ice cream cone, then she leaned towards Danny on the booth with a playful, devious grin. Danny scooted farther away from her. He knew how evil she could get when she was bored and the burn still ached from that tea.

Grace smashed her chocolate ice cream cone in his face and he glared at her. Bronze looked back at them and roared with laughter, her previous anger forgotten in the moment. Danny threw his vanilla cone at her face and it splattered on both Bronze and Grace's faces. Bronze glared at him and spit her ice cream at him, then threw her cone. It landed on the window with a _splat! _and the three started laughing as people looked at them with disbelief.

"You could make a chocolate and vanilla swirl," Bronze noted, grinning at them. "I don't think that's served around here yet."

Danny rolled his eyes at that comment.

"Don't be like that," Grace protested, but grinned nonetheless.

"We are great friends, aren't we?" Bronze exclaimed, putting her arms around Grace and Danny. Grace looked at her with confusion, biting her lip. She never really had the time to make friends. She was always traveling. Always too busy. But they seemed to enjoy traveling too. Maybe it could work, but that was sudden...

"...Friends?" Danny and Grace chorused together. Danny must have been thinking similar to her.

"Yeah! We are friends forever," Bronze said, then lowered her voice. "...Right?" Her voice broke after that and she bit her lip. Obviously, she was still upset and angry over the trust issue.

"Of course we are," Danny replied, for once speaking for Grace. "But it will be more than forever. We'll be friends even _longer _than forever. Right, Grace?"

Grace smiled widely. She made her choice and there was no going back.

"Right. Friends even longer than forever."

And then a voice said sweetly, "How cute."

And then Bronze's eyes widened.

"What are you doing here, Wild?" Bronze hissed, narrowing her eyes. "Stay with the pack and leave me alone, traitor."

"You're the traitor," Wild chided, like Bronze was the one doing evil things. "You betrayed the Vespers. And you know what? You're the third wheel of this group."

Grace stood up defiantly. "She is not!" she retorted, seething. "Who are you to come over here and cause chaos?"

"I am simply telling the truth," Wild responded with a smirk, twirling several throwing knives between her fingers. "Maybe you don't notice, but I do. I always notice."

The people around them seemed to be frozen in time. Jaws dropped open and terrified looks on their faces. Wild just seemed to have control over everything around them. Grace's face was contorted in rage, Bronze looked like a mixture between saddened and furious, and Danny looked confused about all of this. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes with realization.

"You two know each other...Are you sisters?" Danny questioned quietly. His question mostly directed to Bronze, but Wild decided to answer instead.

"Yes, we are."

"No, we aren't anymore."

The two sisters glared at each other, one with hurt and the other with irritation.

"We are leaving," Bronze announced, grabbing Danny and Grace by their wrists. "Goodbye, Wild."

Wild smiled at her. "Danger will come to you if you stick around Grace," she whispered into her sister's ear.

Bronze huffed and pulled them out the door of the parlor. Time seemed to come back to the confused people and when they looked around for the girl with the knives, she had disappeared.

* * *

**Yay. Plot twist number one, although this one is kinda easy to figure out. I'll get working on the next chapter right away and maybe I can have a double update!**

**Thank you so much for your support and I'm glad you all enjoy it so far!**

**-Gone :D**


	4. After: Visiting the Bakery

**Disclaimer: I don't own 39 Clues.**

Grace was walking to her hotel when she briefly looked to her right and saw that bakery where she and Danny went. They met Bronze in there. She blinked, trying to clear her eyes from the tears that wanted to be released. She was strong. She wouldn't cry about it anymore, not until she found them. And she bitterly smiled, because she remembered when she wanted her eyes to be blurry with water.

_Stop it._

But she refused what her brain said and went with her heart. She walked into the bakery and sat in the same booth they sat in together, where they had chat about the life of Cahills. Well...it was more like Grace lecturing him that he should have never wanted to join her, but he didn't seem to mind. She didn't notice that there were already two people seated across from each other.

The girl laughed, her eyes twinkling. "You could have asked first," she said. Grace apologized and began to stand up, but the other girl grabbed her wrist.

"Join us," she invited politely, giving her a light smile before returning to sipping her coffee. Grace sat down next to the quiet girl and the chatterbox in front of them began babbling even more.

"And _oh __my gosh, _he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen- Oh, hi!" the chatty girl said to a person standing in front of their table. Grace looked up and immediately looked away. It was GG. Oh, dear lord, she didn't have time for an argument! She just had wanted peace and quiet to silently mourn over the loss of her friends.

GG had noticed her too, because she avoided eye contact. "Hey, Blue and Sri," she spoke, her tone guarded. "May I have a moment with this person?"

Blue and Sri exchanged looks, but nodded. GG looked at Grace with a frown. "Outside," she added and Grace stood up, walking out the door. GG followed and immediately, light raindrops hit their faces and the breeze whipped their hair around.

"I know who you are," GG said quietly, giving Grace a glare. "I didn't realize at first, but I recognized you now. Why did you take Danny from us?"

"How...how did you know I knew Danny?" Grace announced shakily, not at all the powerful person the Madrigal branch knew. She didn't expect this at all. She didn't know GG would be a part of this. "How?!"

GG bit her lip, her eyes starting to water. She roughly rubbed her eyes before saying, "Because he was my _brother_! That's how I k-knew." Her voice trembled. "And you _killed _him! And then you left England like nothing happened! I had to figure out myself. Blue and I were..." A sob escaped her mouth and cried out, lashing towards Grace.

Grace backed away, ducking as GG's attempted to claw her with her nails. "I-I didn't kill him," she said quietly, her eyes widening when a tear leaked from her eye. Her voice grew louder with each word she spoke. "I love him! How dare you say I _killed _him!"

GG laughed. "Very funny. You only knew my brother for a week. He said you two were friends," she replied harshly. "How could you have loved him?"

Grace blinked back her tears, her face growing a little red. "I meant as friends. I'm a married woman," she stated, her tone growing colder. "I married Nathaniel Hartford, not your brother."

"You moved on," GG snarled. "Congratulations, Grace!" And when she turned to walk away, Grace grabbed her arm.

"I never moved on from him or Bronze. And I never will. I don't believe they are dead, so _stop saying his name in past tense_!" Grace shrieked the last part, her hands shaking from anger and sadness.

GG eyed her differently. In pity. Grace despised pity and she didn't want it. She didn't even know what it was for. "He is dead," GG said sharply. "Stop acting like you cared!"

The two of them were soaking wet and shivering. Grace had enough.

"I did care, but believe what you want to believe," Grace spoke calmly. She would be mature. She would stop shedding tears, stop lying to her husband, and most of all, she would still believe they were alive.

_Danny._

_Bronze._

_I love you guys._

_Please wait for me, wherever you are._

"I left England because it wasn't save for me. People were trying to kill me. I told myself I would come back to find them when I could. That ended up being a few years, but I came, nonetheless," Grace explained, putting a hand on GG's shoulder. "I know they are alive."

GG shook her hand off. "Don't get up my hopes, Grace. Don't even think about lying to me," she snapped fiercely before entering the bakery again.

Grace collapsed onto the sidewalk, and even though she protested against it, she sobbed in the pouring rain. The same spot she ran into Danny on a rainy day, just like this.

She wished she could run into him - just one more time.

_I will find you, Bronze and Danny._

_Don't forget me, please._

Her cries throughout England were ignored by all.

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**Thank you so much for the reviews, awesome farmers! Hopefully this chapter isn't stupid...LOL.**

**WARNING: TITLES CANNOT HAVE THE SAME NAME, SO IT WILL SAY BEFORE OR AFTER IN THE CHAPTER TITLE, IT WILL JUST BE WORDED DIFFERENTLY. THANK YOU AND SORRY.**

**~Gone**


	5. After: Visiting the Graveyard

**Disclaimer: I don't own 39 Clues.**

* * *

_Danny and Bronze looked at the third note they had gotten. It was similar. It still said that they would die if they didn't hand over Grace, except it was in a different language. Danny sighed and banged his forehead against the table, almost waking Grace up from her sleep._

_"Shut up," Bronze whispered and he complied, despite the urge to scream in irritation. Could they not last a day without a getting another threatening note? "Should we tell Grace? Maybe she would know who is sending these notes. I'm sure it's a Vesper."_

_Danny shook his head, even though he was worried that he would actually die. "It's best not to worry her. Friends stick by each others sides, right?" he replied questioningly. Bronze nodded, a faint smile appearing on her face._

_"Yes. Today is the last day before I leave to Switzerland and that we planned out where Grace would hide all the clues. I wonder if she likes the movies..."_

The sky was a darkened orange and pink color as the sun began to set and the moon began to rise. GG carried a bundle of flowers in her arms, urging Blue and Grace to walk faster. She didn't seem to want to go home when it was completely dark, but Grace didn't mind. Blue also seemed to mind, because she sped up to catch up with her older sister.

Grace sighed, slowing her pace further when she saw they arrived at the graveyard, where Danny still had a gravestone even though his body was probably reduced to ashes. She squeezed her eyes shut and resisted the urge to scream. They weren't dead! GG was just trying to break her like she had been broke, but Grace wasn't going to have that.

_But what if they actually did die? Wouldn't they want me to live in peace? _she thought. She bit her lip until she tasted blood, very angry with herself. She needed to stop being so negative and try to believe, even though her beliefs were shattering with each step she took towards his grave. _I wish I could have visited Bronze's grave in Switzerland, but I'm running out of the days I told Nathaniel I would be here in England. Maybe I will go there on a mission._

She shook her head. They were alive. Why would she need to see Bronze's grave when she knew her crazy friend didn't go up in ashes? She remembered the faint sounds of screaming as fire trailed up Bronze and Danny's legs. She remembered Bronze falling to the ground with fire in her hair.

She choked out a small scream and GG looked back at her, her eyes showing concern and annoyance. But even though she had a smudge of concern, she didn't ask Grace if she was okay. She knew the answer. She noticed everything.

Blue tugged them along and grabbed the flowers out of GG's hands, setting them on Danny's grave. GG and Blue sat beside the grave and prayed quietly to themselves. Grace didn't want to intrude their family moment, so she stood there and said her own prayer to both of her friends. She had come to terms that they had died and she would never see them again. She thought about them years and years, and all this time, they were actually dead and she didn't believe it.

A tear dripped down her chin and soaked into the collar of her dress. She never mourned them years ago, because she was too stubborn to believe they passed away. They passed away and it was _all her fault. _The Vespers were after her and not them. She did kill them! GG was right all along.

"I'm sorry, GG," Grace blurted out, more tears streaking down her face. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I killed them, but not in the way you thought. People are always out to get me. They killed all those people because I was there." _Does that make me a killer? A killer of my own friends? _"But...Danny joined me on his own will. I tried to convince him otherwise, but he was very stubborn. Bronze joined in because _she _was going to kill Danny. So I let her join."

_Am I a killer?_

GG opened her mouth, but then closed it and grudgingly sighed. "Okay. I won't blame you anymore. So you finally realized everyone died?" she asked.

"More like Bronze and Danny. I was already on terms that everyone else died," Grace admitted, rubbing her eyes. She was thankful she was no longer crying.

GG nodded. "It's harder to let go of the people you love. I only believed it because he was gone for two years before I figured out. I'm sorry that I accused you of killing my brother when you clearly loved him," she apologized with a faint smile. "You'll always be welcome to visit us here again. We need to go now. Are you coming with us?"

"I'll catch up in a moment," Grace assured. GG and Blue began to walk out of the graveyard while Grace thought to herself. Finally, she spoke awkwardly, "Danny... and even Bronze if she's here, I hope you are happy. I'll be with you both someday."

Grace began to walk out of the graveyard until she swore she heard Danny's voice say, _"Don't leave me here alone!"_

But she didn't look back.

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**Yes, I do believe in ghosts. So I added that bit in here. I would have made Bronze's voice say the same, but I decided since her grave isn't there, that it would be just Danny who said that. xD**

**Thank you so much for the reviews! **

**~Gone**


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Once upon a time, there lived a young woman who was broken forever. She could never stop remembering her two friends, who were Danny and Bronze. She finally had to convince herself they had died, but she still was upset. An English accent made her upset. Going to Switzerland for business trips made her cringe and she usually ended up visiting Bronze's grave. The rain made her depressed and she could never be outside in it. That's just how she was. She was sentimental and she had to name things after them that reminded her of them. Nathaniel never really understood, since she now has so many friends - but those were her _first _friends. That was the difference to her.

_First friends are always the ones that people say will last forever, but all of them are liars._

She had a baby with Nathaniel by the name of Hope Cahill. She treasured the little red-headed girl and was a little overprotective and cautious with her. Grace didn't want her to end up like herself, being tortured forever by the thoughts of people she loved. That all changed when Nathaniel went on a business trip for the Madrigals and died. The family had never been the same. Grace noticed and even little Hope noticed that there was something lacking now. Grace busied herself with work and kept Hope out of trouble, making sure she didn't think about Bronze or Danny anymore.

_Little did she know, it would work._

Her memory of her old friends started to fade when she finally had grandchildren - Amelia Cahill and Daniel Cahill. She couldn't remember why she wanted her daughter to name her grandson Daniel, but she agreed to it and so did Arthur. Grace felt some kind of joy, but she brushed it off as being happy that she had another grandchild. When her daughter and son-in-law died in a fire, she was devastated. She wanted her grandchildren to stay by her side, but she had to let them go to stay with Beatrice. It was for their own good.

_She was supposed to be broken forever. She is, but no longer over her friends. _

She figured out she had cancer years later. She was as lively as ever, trying to make it look like she wasn't sick. She laid in her bed and discussed a few things with Fiske, her younger brother. She waved him off so she could be alone before she died. That's how she wanted to be. Alone. She took a shuddering breath and mouthed ancient words she hadn't spoken or remembered in forever: "Danny...and Bronze..."

_And then she died, but not without those words. She couldn't remember why they were so important to her, but she had to say them. Before she died, she heard two voices that sounded oddly familiar to her._

"Why did you forget us?"

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**Disclaimer: I don't own 39 Clues!**

**The end. I told you it would be ironic. She doesn't remember them anymore. How's that for a tragedy? :'D**

**I'm glad you all supported me and I hope you enjoyed the story!**

**~Gone**


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